The Other Side of the Coin: Australia's Construction Boom

Aug. 12, 2008 - PRLog -- There is no doubt that due to the arrival of the 'credit crunch' we are seeing more and more evidence of an economic slowdown across a wide range of sectors in the UK, including the construction industry. Big names within the residential construction industry - including Persimmon and Taylor Wimpey - and smaller construction businesses have been forced to lay off tradesmen and close offices.

Prices of existing houses are also falling at a rate not seen since the 1990’s, mortgages are harder to come by and there is a snowballing effect which is adding to the woes of the industry and the economy.
In stark contrast to this is the Australian economy and construction industry, both of which show little sign of a credit crunch driven slow down.

The antipodean construction industry particularly is continuing to thrive off the back of the mineral and energy industries’ boom, as well as major infrastructure developments in most of Australia’s main cities. There is the construction of the Brisbane River Tunnel, Westgate Widening Project in Melbourne, and the Mandurah Railway project in Perth to name a few.

And there are no signs the growth in the construction industry is due to slow down. On the contrary: statistics show that there has been a decline in the growth of the Australian labour force since the late 1970’s. And 2010 will represent the year that more tradesmen will exit the workforce than join.

This has serious implications for the Australian construction sector where at least 25 per cent of the current workforce is aged over 45-years-of-age; by 2010, that proportion will have grown to over 35 per cent.
So, for example, in order to replace these workers the Australia Bureau of Statistics (ABS) has predicted that western Australia alone will need at least 18,000 new workers every year for the next ten years in order to meet the demand of current and proposed infrastructure projects.

The prediction is that there will be a solid growth in all construction sectors including engineering, road, bridge, railway, harbour, mining, telecommunication, residential and non-residential, electrical and pipeline construction.

With residential construction specifically, the Australian Housing Industry Association’s (AHIA) chief executive, Chris Lamont, said Australia needs one million new homes in five years to meet demand and that “unless the industry attracts an enormous number of new skilled workers, the cost of construction will rise substantially as supply constraints bite” as the industry faces a dire labour shortage.

What does this mean for construction tradesmen who are considering moving to and working in Australia?
In a nutshell it means that tradesmen with the right experience and qualifications are in huge demand throughout Australia and should have no problems satisfying Australian visa criteria and finding work on arrival in Australia.

How to Work in Australia

Anyone (except Australians or permanent Australian residents) travelling to Australia needs to obtain an Australian visa. There are many different visas available but there are three main groups of visas which are most applicable to UK passport holders:

12 – 24 Month Working Holiday Visa

For people under the age of 30, the 12-month working holiday visa is the preferred option. It is initially granted only for 12 months, but it can be extended by a further 12 months if at least three months of construction work is undertaken by the visa holder during the first 12 month period.

No qualifications are needed to apply for this visa. It is cheap, it can be granted in as little as a week, and this means that you could be out in Australia enjoying the sunshine and making some cash in the wink of an eye.
The downside is that you can’t take your family (each individual must apply for a visa) and you have to change employers every six months.

Skilled Migration

For those looking for a more permanent option Australia’s general skilled migration program offers individuals and families the opportunity to become permanent residents of Australia.

Eligibility for the permanent type visas is determined by the skills and experience of the visa applicant and the amount of points they can obtain on the 'points test'. These are just some skills that are in high demand throughout the whole of Australia at the moment:

Bricklayers
Carpenters
Joiners
Plasterers
Fitters
Electricians
Plumbers
Floor finishers
Gasfitters
Painters and decorators
Roof slaters
Tilers
Sheetmetal workers
Stonemasons
Welders
Engineers
Construction managers

People with these skills will be able to count bonus points on the skilled visa points test and will usually be eligible for one of the permanent visas.

Take, for example, a 35-year-old man who has been a bricklayer in the UK for ten years. He would be able to obtain enough points (for his age, for his trade, his work experience, his English language skills) to qualify for one of the skilled visas.

This type of visa usually takes about 12 months to obtain. The first step involves obtaining an assessment of skills to show that you are who you say you are. So carrying on with the example above, a bricklayer will have to undertake a one-day practical test to show that he (or she) really is a bricklayer.

Passing this one-day exam will then allow the bricklayer to apply for a visa. But passing this exam has another advantage: the pass will allow most construction workers to start working on arrival in Australia as it equips participants with an Australian Qualification, immediately recognisable to an Australian employer.

Once the visa is granted the visa applicant and his immediate family members will be able to travel to Australia to live and work.

Unfortunately this visa has an upper age limit of 45-years-of-age, and there are no exceptions so if you are over 45, this visa is not for you.

Options for Those Over the Age of 45

Most people think that if they are over 45 they have no way of getting out to Australia. This is incorrect. For those over the age of 45 the best way to secure a visa enabling work rights in Australia is to seek an offer of employment from an Australian employer.
These visas are usually temporary visas although if the job offer will be based in a regional area of Australia, it can be a permanent visa straight away. Also, once you have spent some time in Australia on the temporary visa, you can usually apply for a permanent visa. This is because people with construction skills are able to apply for a waiver of the age limit (which exists on the permanent employer sponsored visas only) due to their skills being 'in high demand' in Australia.

Alternatively, a business visa for Australia will be an option for British nationals who have experience running a business in the last five years. So if you have business experience and cash to allow you to invest in an Australian business, you can also take advantage of the need for construction workers in Australia.

How to Get Started

Getting a visa for Australia can be a complicated process. If you don’t know where and how to start, give Sort My Visa a call on +44 (0) 207 502 1546, email us at info@sortoutmyvisa.com or take a look at the website www.sortoutmyvisa.com. Specialists here are happy to give you advice about your best visa options and to help out with your visa application.

Given that applications under the skilled migration program usually take at least 12 months, now is the ideal time to apply to get into Australia in time for the 2010 "tipping point"
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We provide visas for people wanting to visit, work or migrate to Australia and New Zealand. We provide visa services and legal advice about all Australian and New Zealand Visas, including business, skilled, work, family, visitor and working holiday visas.